Lodi, Italy

Infobox CityIT
official_name = Comune di Lodi
img_coa = Lodi-Stemma.png img_coa_small =

Lodi (pronounced IPA| [ˈlodi] ) is a town in Lombardy, Italy, on the right bank of the River Adda. It is the capital of the province of Lodi.

History

Lodi was a Celtic village that in Roman times was called in Latin Laus Pompeia (probably in honor of the consul Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo) and was known also because its position allowed many Gauls of "Gallia Cisalpina" to obtain Roman citizenship. It was in an important position at the crossing of vital Roman roads.

It became a Christian diocese and its first bishop, Saint Bassianus (San Bassiano), (319-409), is the patron saint of the town (celebrated on January 19).

A free commune around 1000, it fiercely resisted the Milanese, who destroyed it in April 24 1158. Frederick Barbarossa rebuilt it on its current location.

Starting from 1220, the "Lodigiani" (inhabitants of Lodi) spent some decades in realizing an important work of hydraulic engineering: a system of miles and miles of artificial rivers and channels (called "Consorzio di Muzza") was created in order to give water to the countryside, turning some arid areas into one of the (still now) most important agricultural areas of the region.

Lodi was ruled by the Visconti family, who built a castle.

In 1423, the antipope John XXIII launched the bull by which he convened the Council of Constance from the Duomo of Lodi. The council would mark the end of the Great Schism.

In 1454 representatives from all the regional states of Italy met in Lodi to sign the treaty known as the peace of Lodi, by which they intended to work in the direction of Italian unification, but this peace lasted only 40 years.

The town was then ruled by the Sforza family, France, Spain, Austria. In 1786 it became the eponymous capital of a province that included Crema.

On 10 May 1796, in the first major battle of his career as a general, the young Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the Austrians at the town's River Adda crossing before going on to enter Milan. It is in commemoration of this event – the Battle of Lodi – that there are streets named "Rue du Pont de Lodi" in so many French municipalities, including that in the 6th arrondissement of Paris.

Economy

In 1864 Tiziano Zalli founded the Banca Popolare di Lodi, the first Italian cooperative bank (now part of Banco Popolare group).

In 1945, the Italian petrol company Agip, directed by Enrico Mattei, started extracting methane from its fields, and Lodi was the first Italian town with a regular domestic gas service.

Fractions

Fontana Olmo, San Grato, Bottedo, Calvelzano, Comella, Gissara, Isola Maggiore, Lodolina, Martinetta, Mozzanica, Paderno, Pesalupo, Polledra, Portadore Alto, Riolo, Tre Cascine, Vigadore

Twin cities

*flagicon|Germany - Constance, Germany;
*flagicon|United States - Lodi, California, United States;
*flagicon|Italy - Omegna, Italy.